Keratoconus — Circular Keratotomy: treatment in the Best Hospitals of Germany
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Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of modern diagnostic and therapeutic services in the field of its expertise. The department deals with the treatment of all pathologies of the anterior and posterior segment of the eye. Special attention is paid to operations on the retina, vitreous body, lens and treatment of corneal diseases. To provide effective treatment, the department has three modern operating rooms and two treatment rooms equipped with the very latest technology. The department has 24 beds. Most of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, without mandatory hospitalization. The department's medical team admits more than 2,500 inpatients, and about 25,000 outpatients for diagnostics and treatment annually. The department’s specialists have long successful experience and they also deal with the most complex clinical cases. They provide effective treatment that meets the highest European standards.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers modern diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the eye and its appendages. The main areas of the department's clinical activity include cataract surgery, vitreoretinal surgery, and the treatment of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and eye injuries. The medical facility successfully performs corneal transplant surgery: DMEK lamellar keratoplasty (partial thickness corneal transplantation) and penetrating keratoplasty (full-thickness corneal transplantation). The department has a competent team of pediatric ophthalmologists who specialize in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity, strabismus, amblyopia, nystagmus, eye injuries, and other eye diseases in children. The department also houses a Center for Intravitreal Therapy, where intraocular injections are performed for the treatment of macular and retinal diseases. Ophthalmologists have at their disposal state-of-the-art equipment, such as powerful laser systems, operating microscopes, ophthalmoscopes, refractometers, ultrasound devices, and many others. The department's specialists give preference to personalized care and apply the very latest therapeutic techniques that provide people with the opportunity to see the world in bright colors again
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of modern diagnostics and effective treatments for eye diseases. The department specializes in cataract, glaucoma, refractive eye surgery, surgical treatment of corneal, retinal and vitreous pathologies, correction of strabismus, surgical treatment of diseases of the eyelids and tear ducts. An integral part of the department's doctors work is the treatment of children with eye problems. The department is proud of its long history and exceptional experience in the field of its competence. It treats more than 30,000 outpatients and inpatients every year, which demonstrates the excellent reputation of the medical facility.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology ranks among the top German medical facilities in the field of its specialization! It offers the full range of accurate diagnostics and effective treatment of eye diseases in patients of all age groups. As one of the largest and most successful ophthalmological centers in Germany, the department treats not only common eye pathologies, such as glaucoma, cataracts, conjunctivitis, but also specializes in the treatment of rare, extremely complex pathologies, including hereditary diseases, eye-threatening infections, tumors in the eye and orbit.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of conservative and surgical treatment of eye diseases on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The experienced physicians in the department use modern methods of diagnostics and treatment in their practice, which, in combination with high professionalism, contributes to the achievement of an optimal therapeutic result. Also, one of the significant advantages of the department is the presence of an in-house Eye Bank, which allows the doctors to urgently perform corneal transplantation, thereby restoring vision or preventing its deterioration. The department's specialists work in strict accordance with the guidelines of the professional societies.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for the patients with eye diseases. The specialists of the department provide medical care in case of rare pathologies, such as tumors, eye injuries and macular degeneration, which causes blindness in old age. The department houses a modern Eye Bank, thanks to which the department has all the resources for successful corneal transplantation. The department's doctors have excellent qualifications and rich experience, which in combination with the advanced infrastructure contributes to the provision of first-class medical care.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers all the possibilities of modern medicine for the diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the eye and its appendages. The team of the department's ophthalmologists provides effective treatment of both simple and complex ophthalmic diseases in patients of all age categories, ranging from young children to adults and the elderly. The department's clinical practice focuses on the treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases, tear duct and eyelid surgery, as well as corneal transplantation. The department also provides emergency medical care around the clock. The department has 80 beds and seven state-of-the-art operating rooms, including an outpatient operating room, which makes it one of the largest specialized medical facilities of this kind. The medical facility annually admits about 38,000 outpatients and 6,000 inpatients. The high competence of doctors allows them to achieve successful treatment results and give people the opportunity to see the world in bright colors.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. The department provides qualified medical care to patients of all ages, from newborns and adolescents to elderly patients with severe visual impairment. The department's ophthalmology team focuses on patients with glaucoma, cataracts, retinal, corneal, and vitreous disorders. Emergency care is also available for patients with eye injuries. Treatment is provided on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. There are 65 inpatient beds. The department performs over 7,000 surgical procedures of varying complexity annually, more than 1,400 of which are for cataracts and about 1,000 for glaucoma. The department has an inhouse Eye Bank, so corneal transplantation is a clinical priority, with over 100 transplants performed each year. In addition, the department offers excellent laser services for the treatment of eye diseases. In total, more than 6,000 inpatients are treated here each year, and another 25,000 patients receive medical care on an outpatient basis. State-of-the-art equipment, modern infrastructure, and exceptional professionalism of the doctors contribute to the excellent reputation of the medical facility in Germany and abroad.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the treatment of visual impairment, as well as other diseases of the eyeball, optic nerve, retina and adjacent soft tissues. The department has state-of-the-art equipment and advanced experience, thanks to which it provides optimal conditions not only for the most accurate and comprehensive diagnostics, but also for innovative, effective treatment. For this purpose, it uses minimally invasive laser treatment methods combined with modern computer capabilities.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of conservative and surgical treatment of diseases of the eye and its appendages. The department specializes in age-related macular degeneration and other diseases of the retina, corneal diseases, treatment of dry eye and blepharitis, uveitis, refractive surgery using the LASIK technique, etc. During the diagnostics, treatment and all microsurgical interventions the doctors use the very latest medical advances, which meet the highest quality standards.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology covers the entire range of surgical and conservative ophthalmology. Of particular interest to the department's specialist are the diagnostics and treatment of cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, etc. Also, the scope of tasks includes the treatment of neuro-ophthalmologic diseases, correction of strabismus in adults and children. The department treats more than 3,000 inpatients and more than 20,000 outpatients every year. The department's doctors have innovative laser techniques, which allow them to improve and maintain vision without complex therapeutic manipulations.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology provides a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients with diseases of the eye and its appendages. The department admits patients of all ages, ranging from young children to the elderly. The department has earned a reputation as a center of excellence in the treatment of corneal diseases. It should be noted that it has gained more than 100 years of experience in the research and development of new methods for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Since 1998, one of the largest eye banks in Central Germany (Mitteldeutsche Corneabank Halle) has been operating on the basis of the department, which ensures the selection of the most suitable transplant for each patient. The medical facility has a well-developed laser surgery: selective laser trabeculoplasty, cyclophotocoagulation, YAG laser iridotomy and capsulotomy, phototherapeutic keratectomy, and other laser procedures are performed here. Microsurgical and minimally invasive surgical procedures are also successfully performed in the department. Therapeutic options are complemented by IVOM therapy – intravitreal injections of Lucentis, Avastin, and Ozurdex for the treatment of retinal diseases. In the field of pediatric ophthalmology, special attention is paid to the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity, congenital cataracts and glaucoma, refractive errors, eyelid diseases, strabismus, and eye injuries.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of services in this medical field. The department has gained a reputation as one of the largest and most respected European medical facilities in the area of its specialization. All modern conservative and surgical treatment methods for eye diseases are available here. A special focus is on minimally invasive treatment, gene therapy, and advanced laser technologies, which are constantly being improved. The department's specialists most often treat patients with cataracts, glaucoma, eye tumors, age-related macular degeneration, uveitis, and other pathologies. The department's doctors are competent in examining the eye and its appendages in children of all age groups, examining the eye considering a child's age, and treating detected abnormalities. The primary task of the department's doctors is to preserve their patients' vision with the help of the most sparing therapeutic methods.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of services for the diagnostics and treatment of eye diseases. Of particular interest is the treatment of diseases of the anterior eye segment, especially corneal pathologies. The specialization also covers all types of corneal transplantation, cataract surgery and glaucoma treatment, all plastic surgeries on the eyelids, tear ducts and orbit, surgical and conservative treatment of retinal and vitreous diseases, therapy of neuro-ophthalmic diseases.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of medical services for the diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the eyes, eye muscles, lacrimal ducts and eyelids. The department’s priority clinical focuses include corneal surgery, refractive eye surgery, eye lens surgery, retinal surgery, eyelid surgery and glaucoma treatment. Medical care is provided in close collaboration with specialists in the field of pediatrics, neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, otolaryngology, oral and maxillofacial surgery. The department provides patients with first-class comprehensive treatment that meets international medical standards.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology offers the full range of modern methods for the diagnostics and treatment of eye diseases. The department is one of the largest and leading medical facilities of its kind in Germany, therefore its specialists perfectly cope with extremely complex ophthalmic pathologies and skillfully perform high-level surgical procedures. The department has 77 beds, 6 ultramodern operating rooms for the surgical treatment. The department performs more than 22,000 inpatient and outpatient surgical interventions every year.
Keratoconus is one of the common causes of progressive loss of visual acuity. Its treatment in advanced stages usually requires a corneal transplant. German doctors, however, also use other treatment methods that preserve the patient's own cornea. Ophthalmologists perform circular keratotomy. This operation reshapes the cornea and strengthens it by forming scar tissue.
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Doctors make a circular incision, form a flap, and use a special program to calculate the amount of tissue to be removed. The "extra" tissues are then excised and sutured. The operation is well tolerated and improves vision.
You can undergo your treatment at the University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, the University Hospital Ulm, or the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main.
You are welcome to make your treatment appointment through the Booking Health service and we will organize your trip. The Booking Health team will make an appointment at the hospital with the necessary doctor on the preferred date, take care of your visa and preparation of medical documents, arrange flights and accommodation, provide an interpreter and a personal medical coordinator.
What is keratoconus?
Keratoconus is a change in the shape of the cornea. It takes the form of a cone, hence the name of the disease. The pathology is usually bilateral and genetically caused. The condition is constantly progressing, leading to visual impairment despite normal intraocular pressure and the absence of signs of inflammation.
As a rule, the disease begins in childhood. Gradually, the cornea becomes deformed and thinner, which leads to corneal myopia and astigmatism. In some countries, more than 2% of the population suffers from keratoconus. The highest prevalence of pathology is noted in India and Israel.
Treatment principles
In the early stages, keratoconus can be treated with conservative methods, and with the progression of the pathology, operations will be performed.
The objectives of the treatment of keratoconus in Germany are as follows:
- stabilization of the process so that the disease does not progress or develops more slowly;
- improvement of visual acuity to provide a better quality of life;
- advanced stages of the disease also require the elimination of structural disorders, for example, in the case of the threat of corneal perforation.
At an early stage of the disease, vision correction with lenses is sufficient. As the pathology progresses, invasive procedures and operations will be used. These may be CrossLinking, laser thermokeratoplasty, implantation of intrastromal corneal ring segments and MyoRing, deep anterior lamellar or penetrating keratoplasty, photorefractive and phototherapeutic keratectomy.
Circular keratotomy
Corneal transplantation is usually performed for advanced stages of the disease. The surgical procedure solves the problem of keratoconus, if not forever, then for a very long time. The treatment method, however, is associated with the following problems:
- a shortage of donor material;
- the graft's lifespan is limited;
- risk of immune complications;
- the need for repeated operations in the future, which is especially important for young patients.
Patients sometimes refuse a transplant due to their personal or religious beliefs. Therefore, there is an alternative treatment option for such people, namely circular keratotomy with corneal plastic surgery. This is a new treatment method, the essence of which is based on the reshaping of the patient's own cornea by partially removing tissues and applying interrupted sutures along mutually perpendicular meridians.
This is a non-penetrating operation that preserves the patient's own cornea. Doctors perform circular keratotomy at the first stage, usually with a femtosecond laser, and microsurgical removal of the formed flap with suturing is performed at the second stage. A mathematical model is used to calculate the amount of tissue to be removed. Accurate calculations ensure the best optical properties of the cornea.
The benefits of this method are as follows:
- improvement in vision the very next day after the operation;
- minimal rehabilitation period;
- excellent results for grade 2-3 keratoconus.
The best results of the operation can be achieved in the case of the central location of the apex of keratoconus.
You can use the services of the Booking Health company to undergo your diagnostics and circular keratotomy in Germany. On the website, you can find prices and select the most suitable hospitals. You can also compare the cost of services in different medical centers to make your treatment appointment at the best price. Our employees will help you to select the most suitable clinics in Germany and take care of the arrangements for your trip.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
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